Elementary Essay Earns Treasured Flag

Participating patriotically in Sylvan Avenue’s Flag Day contest this past June was nothing new for student Jessica Schaller, but a special gift she earned from her congressman proved unique.

Each year, Sylvan Avenue celebrates Flag Day with contests – poster drawing for grades K-2, essay writing for grades 3-5 – revolving around the topic “What the Flag Means to Me,” with winners selected from each grade level. The six winning students read their essays and display their posters at the day’s assembly, receiving prizes like American flag beach towels, donated by the school’s PTA. Schaller was the winner for the fourth grade.

Schaller’s mother sent her daughter’s winning entry to U.S. Rep. Pete King, who honored Schaller and the essay by sending her a flag that had been flown over the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. in July.

“I think I’m pretty lucky for this to happen at such a young age,” said Schaller, now a fifth-grader. “It’s something I can treasure forever.”

The flag now hangs in the second-floor window of the Sylvan Avenue building, proudly displayed next to the accompanying certificate and Schaller’s essay, both matted by art teacher Carly Gayer.